Prof Morris, and his team have just shown that it is possible to manufacture silicon microchips using ‘self assembly’ methods. This involves the use of chemistry to prod groups of atoms to assemble themselves into the desired way.

The use of self-assembly to make microchips is far, far cheaper than using expensive engineering tools. There is no cutting, or other tool work required, and small groups of silicon atoms do all the work for themselves.

This provides a potential way to build future microchips with a lot more power, while also reducing manufacturing costs.